| “ | The witches completed their dreaded Grand Rite. The war is on. The battle has begun. And the front line is in Salem. | ” |
— Cotton Mather
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Salem, a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, is the place that hosted the spread of a witch hunt hysteria.
Description
According to George Sibley, the town of Salem was founded following the will of the Lord and was built by the founding fathers Endecott, Skelton, Alden, and Sibley, being him the one and only one of them still alive.
Salem is a small town that lies on the edge of a vast forest, overlooks the Massachusetts Bay. Inhabited by Puritans, it is a rural place and has a very strict policy but face some trade with the neighboring Native American tribes not hostile to the citizens of Salem. The town is governed by a small council of men, known as the selectmen, formed by a man from each of the most important families in town, such as Alden, Sibley, Hale. The policy is also administrated by a chief policeman at the head of a handful of militiamen, who also plays the role of magistrate. Salem is divided into rich and poor neighborhoods, with Knocker's Hole as the poorest district, mainly inhabited by prostitutes and drunkards, located close to the harbour. The town mainly lives of naval trade, agriculture, and livestock, as well as small businesses like smelters, taverns and a brothel.
Throughout the Salem Series
Season One
The city is undergoing the harassment by the Old Continent that does not recognize American independence, and also suffers raids by Native Americans, that the citizens of Salem, as devout Puritans, believe be evil and soulless beings. To complicate the situation, even the supernatural threat of witches. The hysteria will lead the superstitious Puritans to flush out the witches, unaware that the real witches are plotting to take them to the rout.
Season Two
Salem is now at war with the Witch Pox and more accusations every day. Although no action has taken place on who the accused witches are, everyone is currently preventing coming in contact with the deadly pox at their own risk. No trials have taken place as of yet, but most citizens still attend church and still do their daily activities, just under more caution.
Season Three
Following the plague and fire that has almost completely destroyed their meeting house, Salem's citizens try to return to everyday life but peace is again hampered when hordes of refugees seek help, escaping from raids to perpetrate by French troops and Indian tribes. Meanwhile, the Dark Lord implements his diabolical plan of unleashing a Great Terror on Salem, sacrificing many victims for his purposes until the plan is overturned. Salem is again saved, led by Anne Hale, who is willing to make the town prosper under her domain.
Notable Places
| Name | Description | Belonging |
|---|---|---|
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A large mansion built in the center of the city, belonging to Sibley family. A place that hides unspeakable horrors behind closed doors. | George Sibley & Mary Sibley |
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The house that belongs to the Hale family, one of the most famous and wealthy families of Salem. | John Hale, Mrs. Hale & Anne Hale |
! |
A room at Salem Inn rented by Cotton Mather, and used as study and dormitory. | Cotton Mather |
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Place of prayer and sermons, as well as the court of the witch trials. | Public building |
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The local brothel that used to be ran by the witch Mab until her death. Increase Mather turned it in his "House of Pain," a torture chamber. | Mab & Increase Mather |
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The local Tavern located on main street. | Unknown |
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The dark woods, terrotory of the Indians and the witches | Nobody |
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a wooden building that houses the sick patients, especially the victims of the plague | Public |
 Salem Cemetery
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Burial place, used by Anne Hale as a park to sit and draw for the acolytes of Mercy for their witchcraft. | Public |
 Knocker's Hole
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Infamous neighborhood near the harbour, home to the outcasts and the poor. | Public |
 The Crags
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Burial place of the undesirable, a mass grave in the woods. | Public |
Salem Residents
Main:Salem Residents
Alive
Former Citizens
Deceased
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Memorable Quotes
- George Sibley: "On this glorious day, our brave boys muster to face the devil's shock troops. French and Indian savages massing in the woods right outside our doors. And what are you going off to defend? Not Sodom, but Salem! We cannot expect God to be on our side if we tolerate abominations or those who commit them."
- — The Vow
- ___________________________________
- Mary Sibley (to George Sibley): "They will hunt and kill and drown in their very own blood till there's no Puritans left standing and Salem is ours!"
- — The Vow
- ____________________________________
- Isaac Walton: "Have I passed over? Did I make it to Heaven? Or am I in Hell?"
- Dr. Wainwright: "Neither Heaven nor Hell, Sir. Merely Salem."
- — Cry Havoc
- _____________________________________
- Magistrate Hathorne (to the crowd in church): "Humbly, I stand before you, divinely called to be your Moses and lead you there! George Sibley was a giant in his day, but the sun has set on that day. And if it is not to set on all our days, we must have a new leader. I ask you this simple question: Did God intend you to be led to the true promised land by a man who cannot even walk?"
- Mary Sibley: "George, oppose him now. This is your last chance to end your suffering."
- George Sibley: "Moses!? Damned impudence to appoint oneself our Moses and claim to do so humbly. This man's pride is worthy of Satan himself, not Moses. Much greater men than you, sir, made a covenant with the Almighty, and they landed on these shores, men named Endecott, Skelton, Alden, and Sibley! We crossed the river Jordan to this, our promised land, Salem, not some inherited parcel from which we could... We have overcome crop failures, epidemics, Indian raids, even witches. Shall we abandon our promised land now? What would the Lord himself say to that?! God hears us and speaks!"
- — The Wine Dark Sea
- __________________________________
Gallery
Videos
Trivia
- The town gives its name to the TV series, which initially was intended to be called "Malice".
- Most American novels about witchcraft are set in Salem or make reference to it in some way.
- Despite being the place of atrocious cruelty, today is a tourist destination for many modern witches and curious tourists.
- The scenes aren't filmed in real Salem, but in a set specially rebuilt in a realistic and surprising way.
Historical Facts
Map of Salem Village 1692. from A History of the United States and its People by Elroy McKendree Avery.", ca.1904
- Salem, located at the mouth of the Naumkeag river at the site of an ancient Native American village and trading centre, was first settled by Europeans in 1626 when a company of fishermen from Cape Ann led by Roger Conant arrived. In 1639, Endecott's was one of the signatures on the building contract for enlarging the meeting house in Town House Square for the First Church in Salem. This document remains part of the town records at City Hall. He was active in the affairs of the town throughout his life. Samuel Skelton was the first pastor of the First Church of Salem, which is the original Puritan church in North America. Endecott already had a close relationship with Skelton, having been converted by him, and Endecott considered him as his spiritual father.
- Salem originally included much of the North Shore, including Marblehead. Most of the accused in the Salem witch trials lived in nearby "Salem Village", now known as Danvers, although a few lived on the outskirts of Salem. Salem Village also included Peabody and parts of present-day Beverly. Middleton, Topsfield, Wenham, and Manchester-by-the-Sea were once parts of Salem.
- Puritans had come to Massachusetts to obtain religious freedom for themselves but had no particular interest in establishing a haven for other faiths. The laws were harsh, with punishments that included fines, deprivation of property, banishment or imprisonment.
See Also
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